Even if Coltin Gerhart played no sports, he would be a welcome addition at Arizona State.

He's a straight-A student planning to major in health sciences, perhaps leading to a career as a doctor, chiropractor or physician assistant like his sister Teagan, after her standout softball pitching career at Stanford.

Gerhart, though, will be anything but an anonymous brainiac at ASU. He hopes to one day win the starting quarterback job while doubling up as a baseball outfielder. Who does this guy think he is — another Toby Gerhart?

That's exactly the right comparison, except his older brother Toby was a running back at Stanford, a position more compatible with being a two-sport athlete than quarterback.

Toby finished second in the 2009 Heisman Trophy voting and second all time in school rushing while also hitting a cumulative .275 in three baseball seasons and helping the Cardinal reach the 2008 College World Series.

Coltin was an eighth-grader the fall that Toby rushed for a school-record 223 yards against Oregon and came up 28 points shy in the closest Heisman vote ever.

"Sometimes I like to imagine myself there," Coltin said. "Hopefully one day I'll be there."

Gerhart fits right in at ASU, where his brother Garth played center from 2008 to 2011 and coach Todd Graham encourages big dreams. He could be the third-team quarterback as a true freshman and still redshirt, provided Taylor Kelly and Mike Bercovici stay healthy. The future at the position eventually will come down to competition between Gerhart, fellow freshman Manny Wilkins and commitments Brady White and Bryce Perkins.

"A couple of people tried to convince me to play defense, but my heart's always been at quarterback," Gerhart said during recruiting.

No wonder when you're talented enough to amass 3,151 yards and 45 touchdowns in your senior year at a new school after a messy transfer that was necessitated when Gerhart's father Todd lost his job as head coach at Norco (Calif.) High.

His switch to Vista Murrieta High was approved by the California Interscholastic Federation then Gerhart, 6-0, 216, made All-CIF in both of his sports. He is 2 inches shorter than Kelly but similarly dangerous rushing and passing. In baseball, Gerhart hit .359 with 18 extra-base hits as leadoff batter and could have been a third- to fifth-round draft pick if he'd offered an encouraging word to major-league inquiries.

"I got called before Day 2 (of the draft) and offered a certain amount of money, but it wasn't what I asked for," Gerhart said. "I'd rather take my chances here."

When he met new ASU baseball coach Tracy Smith, Gerhart's main question was if the Sun Devils would be emphasizing small ball. He was relieved to hear, "They're more into powering the ball into the gaps, so that got me more excited."

Smith shared players with football in his previous jobs at Indiana and Miami (Ohio), including Ryne Robinson, who played briefly in the NFL. He recommended Greg Heban, based on his flag-football ability, to former Indiana coach Bill Lynch, and Heban wound up starting 38 games at safety from 2010 to 2013.

"Football is receptive to the idea" of Gerhart playing both sports, Smith said. "It's a little tougher on a quarterback, but a lot of it depends on the kid, too. If there's a way to do it at Florida State, I always figured there's a way to do at where I work."

Quarterback Jameis Winston is the latest Florida State two-sport star. All Winston did in 2013-14 was lead the Seminoles to the BCS national championship title in football while winning the Heisman Trophy and dominate as a baseball closer (seven saves, 1.08 ERA).

ASU quarterbacks Mike Pagel and Danny White doubled in baseball, with Pagel hitting .320 as a starting outfielder in 1982. Lenny Randle and Paul Ray Powell are among others who achieved success in both sports. Most famously, Reggie Jackson came to ASU on a football scholarship before switching full time to baseball.

More recent Sun Devils to play both sports include Brandon Magee, Mike Jones and Skyler Fulton.

"It's going to be challenging, but I think it actually has its benefits," Gerhart said. "Mentally in football you almost need a break. Switching between sports will kind of give me a reset button. I'm sure there will be pressure (to concentrate solely on football), but I guess we'll have to work it out then."